Soyuz TM was a modernized version of the Soyuz T with new docking and rendezvous, radio communications, emergency, and integrated parachute/landing engine systems. It used a more durable metal body and lighter heat shield material. It was tested first in an unmanned flight. It was the manned spacecraft used to ferry crews to Mir and the International Space Station. The Kurs rendezvous and docking system permitted the Soyuz TM to maneuver independently of the station, without the station making "mirror image" maneuvers to match unwanted translations introduced by earlier models' aft-mounted attitude control. The lighter rendezvous system and improved launch escape tower permitted higher payloads, or more maneuvering propellant to be carried.

Soyuz The Russian Soyuz spacecraft has been the longest-lived, most adaptable, and most successful manned spacecraft design. In production for fifty years, more than 240 have been built and flown on a wide range of missions. The design will remain in use with the international space station well into the 21st century, providing the only manned access to the station after the retirement of the shuttle in 2011. More...

Soyuz Russian orbital launch vehicle. The world's first ICBM became the most often used and most reliable launch vehicle in history. The original core+four strap-on booster missile had a small third stage added to produce the Vostok launch vehicle, with a payload of 5 metric tons. Addition of a larger third stage produced the Voskhod/Soyuz vehicle, with a payload over 6 metric tons. Using this with a fourth stage, the resulting Molniya booster placed communications satellites and early lunar and planetary probes in higher energy trajectories. By the year 2000 over 1,628 had been launched with an unmatched success rate of 97.5% for production models. Improved models providing commercial launch services for international customers entered service in the new millenium, and a new launch pad at Kourou was to be inaugurated in 2009. It appeared that the R-7 could easily still be in service 70 years after its first launch. More...

Soyuz 11A511U Russian standardised man-rated orbital launch vehicle derived from the original R-7 ICBM of 1957. It has been launched in greater numbers than any orbital launch vehicle in history. Not coincidentally, it has been the most reliable as well. After over 40 years service in Russia, ESA built a new launch pad at Kourou which will keep it in service from three launch sites in three countries well into the mid-21st Century. More...

Soyuz 11A511U2 Russian orbital launch vehicle. Soyuz 11A511U2 used synthetic kerosene ('Sintin') in first stage for launch of premium reconnaisance satellite and manned payloads requiring just a bit more payload than the standard 11A511 could offer. Further use of the 11A511U2 abandoned in 1996 due to Sintin production stoppage. Later Soyuz spacecraft launched on standard Soyuz, with reduced payload and rendezvous with Mir in lower orbit accepted. More...

ISS Finally completed in 2010 after a torturous 25-year development and production process, the International Space Station was originally conceived as the staging post for manned exploration of the solar systrem. Instead, it was seemed to be the death knell of manned spaceflight. More...

Mir The Mir space station was the last remnant of the once mighty Soviet space programme. It was built to last only five years, and was to have been composed of modules launched by Proton and Buran/Energia launch vehicles. These modules were derived from those originally designed by Chelomei in the 1960's for the Almaz military station programme. As the Soviet Union collapsed Mir stayed in orbit, but the final modules were years late and could only be completed with American financial assistance. Kept flying over a decade beyond its rated life, Mir proved a source of pride to the Russian people and proved the ability of their cosmonauts and engineers to improvise and keep operations going despite all manner of challenges and mishaps. More...

Associated Propellants

N2O4/UDMH Nitrogen tetroxide became the storable liquid propellant of choice from the late 1950's. Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine ((CH3)2NNH2) became the storable liquid fuel of choice by the mid-1950's. Development of UDMH in the Soviet Union began in 1949. It is used in virtually all storable liquid rocket engines except for some orbital manoeuvring engines in the United States, where MMH has been preferred due to a slightly higher density and performance. More...

Baikonur Russia's largest cosmodrome, the only one used for manned launches and with facilities for the larger Proton, N1, and Energia launch vehicles. The spaceport ended up on foreign soil after the break-up of Soviet Union. The official designations NIIP-5 and GIK-5 are used in official Soviet histories. It was also universally referred to as Tyuratam by both Soviet military staff and engineers, and the US intelligence agencies. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union the Russian Federation has insisted on continued use of the old Soviet 'public' name of Baikonur. In its Kazakh (Kazak) version this is rendered Baykonur. More...

On Feb 7 at 16:28:01 GMT the EO-22 crew and American astronaut Linenger undocked the Soyuz TM-24 ferry from the front docking port, flew it around to the far side of the complex and redocked at the rear Kvant port at 16:51:27 GMT. This cleared the forward port for the arrival of the EO-23 crew, who brought with them German astronaut Reinhold Ewald on Feb 12.

Solovyov handed over command of Mir to EO-25 commander Musabayev, and the Mir EO-24 crew and Eyharts undocked from the forward port of Mir at 05:52 GMT on February 19 aboard the Soyuz TM-26 for their return home. On February 20, the EO-25 crew and Andy Thomas of the NASA-7 mission boarded Soyuz TM-27 and undocked from the Kvant port at 08:48 GMT. They redocked with the forward port on Mir at 09:32 GMT. This freed up the Kvant port for a test redocking of the Progress M-37 cargo ship, parked in a following orbit with Mir during the crew transfer.

Soyuz TM-32 - .
Call Sign: Kristall. Crew: Musabayev; Baturin; Tito. Payload: Soyuz TM 11F732 s/n 206. Mass: 6,750 kg (14,880 lb). Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Musabayev; Baturin; Tito. Agency: RAKA. Manufacturer: Korolev. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: ISS EP-1. Spacecraft: Soyuz TM. Duration: 185.89 days. Decay Date: 2001-10-31 . USAF Sat Cat: 26749 . COSPAR: 2001-017A. Apogee: 397 km (246 mi). Perigee: 385 km (239 mi). Inclination: 51.6000 deg. Period: 92.40 min. Soyuz TM-32 was designated ISS flight 2S by NASA and EP-1 (Visiting Crew 1) by RKK Energia. Soyuz TM-32 was a fresh lifeboat for the station; the Soyuz TM-31 crew themselves would return in Soyuz TM-31, which was at the end of its rated in-space storage tie. Dennis Tito's inclusion in the crew created controversy between NASA and the Russians since he was the first space tourist to fly to ISS. He had originally paid to fly to the Mir station but funds ran out to keep that station in orbit. Soyuz TM-32 docked with the -Z port on Zarya at 0758 GMT on April 30 after Endeavour had departed.. The crew transferred their customized reentry seat liners to Soyuz TM-31, at which point TM-32 became the Station's rescue vehicle. After a six day stay, the Soyuz TM-32 crew returned to earth aboard Soyuz TM-31. The Expedition 3 crew entered Soyuz TM-32) on October 19, 2001 and undocked from the nadir port of Zarya at 1048 GMT, flying it out and then sideways a few meters before approaching the station again to dock with the Pirs nadir port at 1104 GMT. This freed up Zarya for the arrival of a new Soyuz. The docking port at the aft end of Zvezda was occupied by the Progress M-45 cargo ship.